Identifying the Cause of Unexpected Server Shutdowns
Question
An administrator identifies that a server is shutting down.
The administrator powers up the server and OS loads but after a few minutes it powers down again.
Which of the following is the cause?
Answers
Explanations
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.B.
Based on the given scenario, the server is powering down unexpectedly, and this can be caused by several hardware issues, including the ones mentioned in the answers. However, to determine the root cause, we need to look at the symptoms.
When the administrator powers up the server, the OS loads, and the server runs for a few minutes before powering down. This means that the power supply is working fine and that the CPU is also functioning. If the CPU was overheating, the server would not even start, or it would shut down immediately after booting. Therefore, we can rule out options A and B.
The two remaining possible causes are memory failure and hard disk failure. However, memory failure would usually cause the server to crash and display an error message, and it would not necessarily power down. Therefore, the most likely cause is a hard disk failure. If the server is shutting down while running, it might be because the OS is installed on the hard disk, and the hard disk is failing to read/write data correctly. This could cause the server to crash, which, in turn, could lead to an unexpected power-off.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. Hard disk failure.
